Blame job outsourcing for math, science lag (Good Read)

[OhioChick]

First published: Sunday, February 4, 2007

I am a graduate of Adirondack Community College in the field of computer science, class of 2005, magna cum laude. I wish to offer further discussion to the Jan. 23 letter by Harvey Patashnick, "To stay No. 1, United States must focus on math and science education."


I fully agree that for the United States to lag behind in science and math graduates is detrimental to our country's ability to remain number one. However, I'm not really sure it is the educational system that needs to be addressed.

Back in 2004, when I was still studying computer science in college, I was shocked and very dismayed to read in the news that American businesses started to outsource computer science-related jobs to India, and the practice became widespread very quickly. I wondered, would I be able to find a job in the field of computer science after graduation?

If I recall correctly, the reason for the rampant outsourcing came down to the all-mighty dollar. I read that an American computer programmer with a four-year degree could expect to be paid $60,000 a year or more, plus benefits. A similarly educated computer programmer from India will work for $16 an hour, which equates to less than $34,000 a year for a standard 40-hour work week. That is quite a cost savings.

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=560031&category=OPINION&newsdate=2/4/2007

[WindRavenX]

1. I disagree. I think Creationist "science" is what's destroying scientific literacy

But outsourcing doesn't help.

[pnwmom]

3. Don't you think our top students are smart enough

to stay away from technical fields when they can make more money -- and have more job security -- by going to work on Wall street?

My daughter is study engineering, and the students she knows are well aware of the job drain away from this country. It definitely affects their choice of fields.

[WindRavenX]

12. oh it's definitely a problem, don't get me wong

But the problem is that we're ALSO losing technical jobs because the majority of our students are completely illiterate in mathematics and science.

[Demeter]

13. It's Not a Direct Loss, Though

Illiterate voters elect imcompetent leaders (like the Bush regime and the GOP).

Illiterate adults support con man religions, which support incompetent GOP candidates.

Illiterate but megalomaniac B school graduates take over US companies, turn pirate, strip the US economy of every asset, and support incompetent leaders, who permit them to continue in their criminal ways, and write laws to aid them in their piracy.

All these incompetents interfere witht he school boards, regents, and other educational policy makers, to ensure future generations of illiterate and profoundly ignorant and buffaloed adults.

What will it take to break the cycle? An Act of God, I expect. Although the 3 Laws of Thermodynamics will do the same, and more permanently, and sooner. Or Darwin's Revenge: the Destruction of the Unfit.

[ChromeFoundry]

2. unfortunately...

this is true... back in 2002 when off-shoring began ramping up, the cost difference was even wider of a margin. The one thing that corporations are still finding out later rather than sooner is that this churning out of the meat grinder approach of programmers at a lesser cost still does not spin out quality. Hold the companies responsible for data breaches and stolen consumer information and you will see a lot of this work return back on-shore.

[EVDebs]

4. Corporations can outsource anything to Bangalore. Don't worry, be happy.

I wash dishes now for a living, contrary to the "big lie" that Reuben Navarette speaks of in today's paper,

Those jobs Americans won't do
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/navarrette/index.html

My old job was offshored to Bangalore, India, back in 2002.

[truedelphi]

5. Companies will always need a certain number of people

To physically hardwire and keep the equipment maintained, updated, virus-free etc

Doesn't pay quite as well as the more traditional programming position, but you cannot be outsourced

Outsourcing sucks - but certain jobs will remain.

[Cobalt-60]

6. In that case

They import the outsourced employee claiming they can't find qualified Americans.

[Lasher]

7. H-1B visas

Illegal immigrants are doing the work Americans won't do. Offshoring everything that isn't nailed down is just a free market win-win. Don't be such a protectionist.

And we're handing out H-1B visas to ensure a steady flow of skilled professionals to do the work we're too dumb to do. See, we have a shortage of qualified people in fields like architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts. Yes, I said theology. But I didn't mention fashion models. We're all too stupid to train to fill these jobs so we're importing skilled workers hand over fist thanks to the H-1B visa program.

And we're making things even better. The pesky quotas have in some years had an inconvenient effect of limiting the number of people that corporations could bring in to replace American workers. So the H-1B visa program was 'reformed' to increase the quota to 195,000 per year to ensure that it will never be reached.

Cheap labor has nothing to do with any of this. Move along, nothing to see here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H1B_visa

[Manifestor_of_Light]

8. I know American physicists/math degrees that can't find jobs.

It's destroying the middle class.
plus, American business is so short sighted they don't want to invest in R&D, that's expensive.

[onyourleft]

9. My husband is one of

those Americans (math degrees). He has been out of work for over a year without a prospect in sight. It is a sad situation, indeed, when one has the education, 20+ years of experience in the computer industry and cannot find work in your own country. :banghead:

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Don't worry.

Something will change. It might require a little creative ingenuity and help from government, but it will change.

[The2ndWheel]

11. The obsession of being #1

in this convoluted reality going nowhere is the real problem. The only goal seems to be to stay in the race and never catch up.

A race to nowhere...brilliant!